How World Cup ticket sales continue to break records

The ticket ballot for the Hockey Women's World Cup London 2018 continues to reach new heights, for a number of reasons:

• 75,000 tickets have been applied for in the current ticket ballot, on top of the 21,000 sold to hockey fans earlier in the year• 24% of ballot ticket applications are for U18s - and those seats start from just £1• Roughly two thirds of tickets have been sold to females, hugely bucking the trend for sports tickets in this country• 20% of ballot applications are for non-England games, highlighting the demand for all nations• There are many more thousands of tickets currently in supporters' shopping baskets• As a comparison, a total of 35,000 tickets were sold for the 2015 EuroHockey men's & women's Championships in London

This massive event will be held at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and will see England’s women take on the very best in the pinnacle of the sport.How can I secure my tickets?A ticket ballot is now live and will close at 6pm on Wednesday 6 September.

You simply need to register, select which sessions and tickets you’d like and give payment details. You will not be charged at this point. The ballot will then be drawn after the 6 September and if successful you will be notified and charged for your tickets by the end of September. Please note, once you have entered the ballot you can log back in and amend your order up until 6pm on 6 September.

How can I maximise my chances of getting tickets?With this high demand for World Cup tickets we are advising the following to help maximise your chances of securing tickets:

• Apply for higher category tickets for 'England' or knockout sessions, or tick the upgrade box.• Don't just look at the England matches! The best players and teams in the world are playing in every session.• Midweek matches offer great value and have higher availability.• All weekend sessions offer a brilliant day out for the whole family.How can I ensure I see England play when applying for tickets in the ballot?Whilst we don’t know the full schedule as some teams still need to qualify, we have plotted when hosts England will play each game so you can ensure you select these tickets in the ballot.

You can have a look at the schedule here, and remember – the England sessions are going to sell out, so consider applying for another match as well to give yourself the best opportunity to be at this once in a lifetime event.I’ve never been to an international hockey event before, will this be a good day out?In short, yes! Hockey is a brilliant sport to watch live, and this tournament will showcase just how fast-paced, action packed and highly skilled the game is. You’ll be able to see English members of the Great Britain Olympic squad battling for gold to go alongside their Olympic Gold medal and we are planning the biggest fan zone we’ve ever staged for a hockey event ensuring there will be something for all the family to enjoy.

Which teams will be playing? As well as England, the Netherlands, Argentina, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, China, Korea, Japan, Italy and South Africa have all qualified so far and will be going for Gold in London. With the top 9 teams in the World all qualified, England will need all the home support they can get so make sure you are ready to cheer them on!

Should I wait until general sale to buy England tickets? In a word, no! General sale will take place at a later date to be announced, but if you want the best chance of England tickets then you need to enter the ballot! All England Pool tickets will sell out in the Public Ballot so if you want to watch us on home soil then make sure you apply in the Ballot.